Offices & Services

The Legislative Resource Center (LRC)

The Legislative Resource Center (LRC) assists with the retrieval of legislative information and records of the House for congressional offices and the public. The Legislative Resource Center provides centralized access to all published documents originated and produced by the House and its committees, to the historical records of the House, and to public disclosure documents. The Legislative Resource Center combines the responsibilities of several previously separate offices–the House Library, the House Document Room, the Office of Legislative Information, and the Office of Records and Registration.

Library Services

Under Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk of the House is charged with the responsibility of maintaining two copies of printed documents of the House as well as the House Journal “in the library at his office” for use by the Members and staff. The Clerk has maintained a legislative and legal reference library since the Second Congress in 1792. Since the 104th Congress, the library services have been provided by Legislative Resource Center (LRC). The LRC has a small staff available to assist researchers and maintains a study area for library patrons.




Contact Info

Mailing Address
B-106 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515–6612

Telephone Number
(202) 226–5200

Office Hours
9:00 AM–6:00 PM, Monday–Friday

House Library Web site
http://clerk.house.gov/library

Collection Contents

In addition to a reference collection of encyclopedias, congressional biographies, and statistical information about Congress, the following holdings are available:

  • House and Senate Journals (1st Congress to present)
  • Congressional Record and Its Predecessors (1st Congress to present)
  • House Reports and Documents (4th Congress to present)
  • House Bills and Resolutions (6th Congress to present)
  • House Committee Hearings (61st Congress to present)
  • Senate Reports (30th Congress to present)
  • Senate Documents (15th Congress to present)
  • Congressional Directories (34th Congress to present)
  • Precedents (Hinds & Cannon’s, Deschlers)

The collection also consists of additional information related to legislation or the Federal Government:

  • Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
  • Federal Register
  • Compilation of Presidential Documents
  • United States Statutes at Large
  • United States Code
  • United States Code Annotated
  • Federal Reporter (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Series)
  • Federal Supplement
  • U.S. Reports
  • United States Code Congressional and Administrative
  • News (USCCAN)
  • Treaties
  • Martindale–Hubbell Law Directory
  • Congressional Quarterly (Weekly Reports, Almanacs, and Others)

Use of Collection

The research and library materials of the LRC are maintained in closed stacks and can be retrieved by the LRC staff on request. Materials can be reviewed in the LRC reading room. Inquiries can be made at the main LRC desk. To facilitate research, it is most advantageous to call ahead to insure availability of materials and to have them retrieved before you visit.

Library Users

Members and permanent employees of the House may check out books and other materials for short-term loans. No materials may leave the LRC before they are first signed out by a permanent staff member. As the LRC also functions as the permanent archives of House documents, some materials are deemed irreplaceable and may only be borrowed with the specific written permission of the Clerk. No LRC materials from the permanent collection may be removed from the Capitol compound or sent to district offices.

Senate Bills and Hearings

The LRC retains Senate Journals, Reports, and Documents. However, we do not maintain Senate bills nor hearings. For more information about Senate bills and hearings, please visit the Senate’s Legislative Activities section.

Serial Set

The “Serial Set” is the compilation of all House and Senate Reports, Conference Reports, and House and Senate Documents published and bound into one set of documents. The LRC holds a complete Serial Set of House materials since the 4th Congress and of Senate material since the 30th Congress. When requesting these materials, please include the Congress from which the report or document originated.


Office of the Clerk - U.S. Capitol, Room H154, Washington, DC 20515-6601
(202) 225-7000 | info.clerkweb@mail.house.gov